Just the tip of the iceburg

Water changes everything.  This time yesterday my lawn was brown and even the leaves on the native trees in the yard were starting to droop.   Now everything has greened up and bounced back with this well needed rain.  
In other ways it seems like nothing is changing.  A friend just emailed me one of the 'free to a good home' ads from the Halifax Kijiji site where the poster is .. no word of a lie ... trying to give away  14 Free Dogs , stating in the ad that he/she has "many dogs free I am moving need homes for them email for pictures.   I have:

• 2 golden retrievers. ( buddy and missy)
• 1 doberman (Raven)
• 6 chihuahuas (bitbit, Marlkin, homy, penny, casey and moomoo)
• 1 german shepherd 9 (Dudley)
• 1 border collie ( dramaqueen)
• 3 black labs ( melinda, amanda, and gordon)

, and closes with "love them all, though i cant keep them.  please help they are not fixed though are all up yo date with vaccines and are micochipped."
As you know, I think Kijiji is a great place to get inanimate objects like furniture and appliances ...so I'm familiar enough with the site to follow through by clicking on the view posters other ads icons.
At the very same time this ad was posted, the poster also listed and ad that he/she is looking for a Sheltie and a few days ago on the third, an ad looking for a border collie was posted ( is that the one that is referred to as drama queen or the new replacement ?)
One can only speculate as to how many dogs are actually at this particular residence.... or how many of them live in the house ...or are kennelled without companionship? 
Not fixed?  Gosh that opens a whole other avenue of inquiry ... were they used for breeding or are there not deep enough pockets for altering the lot of them?
The ad is disturbing .. but it is a symptom rather than the actual problem.  At this point in time, in Nova Scotia, it is perfectly legal to:

• post ads like this on Kijiji
• breed animals without a breeders license
• sell the offspring on Kijiji ( or in flea markets/ fairs and roadside)
• breed bitches of any age
• breed bitches more than once a year
• breed bitches as many times in their lifespan as their poor bodies will hold up for
• breed companion animals without prior medical and genetic screening
• breed to the point of inbreeding
• keep dogs chained / penned / kennelled outside away from all human comforts and companionship
• maintain an unlimited amount of animals in a residence as long as they are all provided with food, water and housing ( the subject of how the minimalist status quo of standards for that is continually opposed by the PIJAC hot alerts to its breeder members is a separate subject needing a post of its own on another day.

When my best friend was a child, his father regularly came home and terrorized the family with his drunken rages.  The entire community knew about it, but at that time there were no resources for his mother to turn to.   That wouldn't happen as easily .. or at least as overtly .. now.  Why?
Because the law has changed.   Teachers and medical professionals are obligated by law to report these things.  Women are no longer required to lay charges against their partners.  
One of my favourite quotes of all time is Einstein's " The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil , but because of those who look on and do nothing"
In the real world that pretty much sums it up.   Until the laws to protect animals change, neighbours will continue to turn a blind eye to the chained dogs, the puppy mills and yes even to neglect.  Sometimes out of fear, some times out of apathy .. but always out of a reluctance to become involved. 
What time is it?  Its time to realize that everything is related.  Laws that protect animals always do double duty by creating safer communities.
If a few hundred worried taxpayers can send the NDP bobsled team off on an unprecedented series of culls, just imagine what would happen if every animal lover in the province took the time to let their MLA  know that Nova Scotia needs more specific legislation to protect the animals.